1. Field of the Invention
A method and apparatus for blending a "primary staple" with a "secondary staple" wherein the weight ratio of the primary staple to the secondary staple is between 10,000:1 and 10:1 is disclosed. The secondary staple is continuously supplied to a blending machine (already working the primary staple) by either drafting or simply feeding a textile roving into an air flow amplifier (preferably a Transvector brand air flow amplifier) to disintegrate the drawn roving into the secondary staple. The secondary staple is subsequently transported to the blending machine, and blended therein with the primary staple. The method is particularly useful in making blends having a secondary staple which imparts a desired characteristic to the resulting mixture, such as conductivity, coloration, etc., or a multiplicity of such characteristics.
2. Prior Art Statement
The blending of staple fiber was originally done by a batch method, often manually. Box-car blenders (U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,599) were developed in place of manual blenders. The manual or box-car blends are subsequently carded to produce a uniform web. Continuous blending by introduction of a secondary fiber into a carding machine which is operating on a primary staple is known in the art. For example, continuous filament yarn has been introduced into partially carded material in a carding machine (U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,485). The continuous filament was broken up into staple and the resulting mixture was blended on the carding machine (U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,485). A web of fibrillated film has been introduced into a carding machine and blended therein (U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,057). Also, A textile roving has been cut up and dispensed onto the web of a card to produce a mottled fabric (U.S. Pat. No. 2,093,415).